Turn-table for overhead railways.



PATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

0. H. WITTHOEFFT. TURN TABLE FOR OVERHEAD RAILWAYS APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 27, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CHARLES H. WITTI-IOEFFT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TURN-TABLE FOR OVERHEAD RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1908.

Application filed November 2'7, 1907. Serial No. 404,016.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. Wrr'r- HOEFFT, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, residing at the city of St. Louis, in the State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTurn-Tables for Overhead Railways, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,-forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a turn table for use in transferring travelersfrom one section of an overhead track to another section of overheadtrack, the device being more particularly intended for use intransferring travelers by which buckets are supported and conveyed fromone point to another in the construction of concrete walls.

Figure I is a top or plan view of my turn table and showing sections ofoverhead track leading to and from the turn table. Fig. II is anelevation of the turn table. Fig. III is a top or plan view of afragment of the switch rail and the catch device by which the travelersare caught after they are transferred onto the switch rail, hangers bywhich the switch rail is supported being shown in horizontal sectiontaken on line-III-III, Fig. II.

In the accompanying drawings: A and A designate overhead track rails onwhich travelers may ride in approaching my turn table and moving fromthe turn table to convey material that is to be delivered to a certainpoint after passing the turn table in one direction and. to be returnedempty after passing the turn table in traveling in a reverse direction.

B and B are overhead track rails that lead from and to the turn table,these rails being united to each other at a point not shown in orderthat the traveler may complete a cir,

cuit from and to the turn table.

1 designates a turn table support that may be of any suitableconstruction and which is located in juxtaposition to the ends of theoverhead rails A, A and B, B.

2 is a circular turn table track mounted upon the support 1 and which islocated at a greater elevation than the ends of the overhead trackrails. The turn table track is adapted to support a carriage that willnext be described.

3 is the bearer of the carriage and 4 are track wheels adapted tooperate on the turn table track and which are journaled to arms 5 to andextending laterally from thebearer 3.

6 are hanger rods depending from the bearer 3.

7 designates a switch rail that is supported by the hanger rod 6 andwhich is preferably so supported as to be lower at one end than at theother end to afford an inclined track rail on which a traveler may ride.It should be here stated that the switch rail is inclined, as stated, inview of the fact that the over head track rail B preferably terminatesat a lower level than the overhead track rail B and that the combinedrails B and B have an inclination therein which extends from a highpoint at the end of the rail B next the turn table to a low point at theend of the rail B adjacent to the turn table. This inclination of therails is provided in order that a traveler will move under the influenceof gravity in traversing said rails to and from the turn table.

8 designates a catch bar that is pivoted intermediate of its ends at 9,see Figs. II and III, to the switch rail 7 and which is provided with acatch member 10 that extends downwardly alongside of the switch rail tooccupy a position that will cause said member to be engaged by atraveler, such as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. II, while saidtraveler is traversing the switch rail.

11 is a spring situated between the top of the switch rail and one armof the catch bar 8 and by which the catch bar is normally maintained ina position to hold the catch member 1.0 thereof in a lowered position.The other arm of the catch bar is adapted to have attached to it anysuitable means by which the catch bar may be moved in position to thespring 11 to withdraw the catch member 10 from the path of travel of thetravelers that traverse the switch rail.

In the practical use of my turn table, the carriage of the table isturned at the will of the operator to bring either end of the switchrail 7 into line with either of the overhead rails A, A, B, B in orderthat a traveler riding upon either of the rails may be transferred tothe switch rail and retransferred from the switch rail to another of theoverhead rails. As the traveler rides onto the switch rail it moves intoengagement with the catch member 10 of the catch bar 8 to be held bysaid catch member until it is to be transferred onto another track rail.It is to be noted in this connection that if the traveler approaches thehigh end of the switch rail and moves onto the switch rail at this endit will be caught by the catch member 10 without the catch bar 8 beingoperated, whereas, if the traveler passes onto the low end of the switchrail it must ride upwardly on said rail and pass beneath the catchmember 10. before it is caught by said member. After the traveler hasbeen transferred to the switch rail of the turn table said turn table isturned to the proper degree to bring an end of the switch rail intoalinement with an overhead rail different from that from which thetraveler was received by the switch rail, and the traveler istransferred onto this rail by either moving it backwardly from the catchmember 10 and onto the rail that is to receive it or by elevating thecatch bar 8 in order that the traveler may pass beneath the catch member10 according to whether the rail that is to receive the traveler is atthe high or low end of the switch rail.

To illustrate the use of the turn table in connection with theparticular arrangement of overhead track rails shown in the drawings itmay be stated that the turn table is first so moved that the switch railwill register with the track rail A in order that a traveler may passonto said switch rail and be retained thereon until the turn table hasbeen turned to bring the end of the rail that has received the travelerinto registration with the track rail B. The traveler is then withdrawnfrom the switch rail and started on its course over the rail B andfinally returns to the turn table at a lower elevation on the track railB. Before the traveler reaches the turn table, however, said turn tableis turned to bring the low end of the switch rail into registration withthe rail B and the traveler, after passing onto the switch rail, ascendsthereon until it passes beneath the catch member 10 and is caughtthereby to be subsequently transferred to the track rail A after theswitch rail h as been turned into registration with the last named trackrail.

I claim: 1. In a turn table of the character described, the combinationof a turn table track, a carriage mounted upon said track,

and an inclined switch rail suspended from said carriage, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a turn table of the character described, the combination of a turntable track, a carriage mounted on said track, a switch rail suspendedfrom said carriage, and a catch adapted to be engaged by a travelerwhile riding upon said switch rail, substantially as set forth.

3. In a turn table of the character described, the combination of a turntable track, a carriage mounted on said track, an inclined switch railsuspended from said carriage, and a catch adapted-to be engaged by atraveler while riding upon said switch rail, substantially as set forth.

4. In a turn table of the character described, the combination of a turntable track, a carriage mounted on said track, an inclined switch railsuspended from. said carriage, and a catch device carried by said switchrail adapted to be engaged by a traveler while riding on said switchrail, substantially as set forth.

5. In a turn table of the character described, the combination of a turntable track, a carriage mounted on said track, an inclined switch railsuspended-from said carriage, and a s ring controlled catch devicecarried by said switch rail adapted to be engaged by a traveler whileriding on said switch rail, substantially as set forth.

6. In a turn table of the character described, the combination of a turntable track, a carriage mounted on said track, a switch rail suspended'from said carriage, a spring controlled catch bar having pivo'talconnection with said switch rail, and a catch member carried by said barand extending downwardly alongside of said switch rail, substantially asset forth.

CHARLES H. WITTHOEFFT.

In presence of BLANCHE HOGAN, LILY RosT.

